Killerfind by Sharon Woods Hopkins Read Free Book Online

Golden Arches, but
said nothing. She wasn’t hungry anyway, so it didn’t matter. She couldn’t stop
thinking about how they found an actual dead body. Could it really be Malcom
Griffith? She shivered.
    “Come on, let’s eat a bite, and talk about what
happened today,” Randolph said, circling his arms around her waist and pulling
her to him in a hug. He brushed her hair from her forehead, then patted the
stool next to him at the counter.
     
    *
* *
     
    With
the meal finished, and the empty containers carried to the trashcan in the
garage, Rhetta curled up in the soft leather chair in the great room. She
savored the rich coffee aroma before sipping from her oversize mug.
    “I hope you aren’t going to get involved in this
case,” Randolph said as he dropped into the matching chair alongside her. Ice
cubes clanked as he stirred his tall iced tea.
    “I don’t see where I could do anything, so why are
you warning me off? It’s not like the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff seeks me
out for guidance.” She chortled at the idea. “I’m sure the forensic pathologist
will identify the remains soon enough.” She swirled the remaining coffee around
the nearly empty cup. “What if it’s really Malcom Griffith? That means somebody
killed him, and he didn’t run away with a pole dancer, after all. I wonder what
happened to the pole dancer. More importantly, if it is Malcom Griffith, then
who killed him?” In spite of Randolph’s warning, she couldn’t help but think
about possible suspects. The pole dancer? Griffith’s wife? A disgruntled
client? An agitated partner?
    “Is Ricky still dating Jeremy Spears?” Randolph
asked, interrupting her thoughts.
    “’Fraid so.” She couldn’t hide her disapproval. She
frowned. Did Jeremy Spears kill Malcom Griffith?
    “Don’t you like him?”
    She returned to the conversation. “Honestly, no. I
heard Ricky having a few cross words with Jeremy this afternoon. She says he’s
blaming her because we found the body. I wonder what he was going to do at the
site after the barn was torn down. And I wonder why the old barn was locked up
anyway? Ricky defended him and insisted Jeremy wasn’t angry because they found
the body. She said the reason he’s upset is that the discovery would set his
project back, and his investors were leaning on him.”
    “That makes sense. Especially if he’s got a lot
invested.”
    She had no desire to regurgitate the details of the
chilling discovery yet again, so she changed the subject. “I have to admit, I’m
disappointed about possibly losing this Z28.” She drained the last of the
coffee.
    Randolph leaned forward. “Of course you are. You
were pretty upset about losing Cami.”
    She stared at the remnants of coffee that clung to
the bottom of the cup.
    He went on. “I know people in the sheriff’s
department. Maybe I can get them to hurry the testing and release the car.”
    Rhetta peered at him over her mug. “Sweets, I know
you’re trying to cheer me up, but I’m a big girl. I know very well I may never
see Cami’s replacement ever again. Or, at least, not for a very long time.” She
set her cup down and stood. She kissed the top of his head. “It’s all right. I
was looking forward to this car, but…well, it’s not Cami.”
    She retrieved the remote and clicked on the news. The
discovery of the body presumed to be Malcom Griffith was the lead story. Video
at nine. She switched off the set and noticed Randolph had left the room. She
heard him talking on the phone.
    She caught a single word before he
disconnected—Camaro.
     
     

     
     
     
    he
Tuesday after Labor Day proved to be as rainy as the three-day weekend had been. Rhetta had eagerly
looked forward to enjoying some down time with Randolph at their cabin at
Land-Between-the-Lakes, Kentucky, and maybe get in some quality fishing.
Instead, when thunder boomed through the house and lightning split the skies
and jarred Rhetta and Randolph awake before dawn Saturday